This 1926 RB-5 pictured on Greg Earnest's website is obviously not to typical style 5 spec, as the info on said page also mentions. But I'm curious if anyone knows what inlay pattern the 1st and 15th position markers came from? The rest of the fretboard is a standard Wreath pattern, but it has these two extra inlays. Any ideas?
earnestbanjo.com/wp/gibson-rb-...e-curell/
1st fret inlay looks like the snowflakes from Style 3 mashed up with non-Mastertone regular dot inlays
15th fret is a mystery to me
I have a 1929 Style 5 tenor with a fine 5 string conversion neck by Dave Nichols. The Style 5 is probably my favorite Gibson model, appearance-wise. The Currell banjo is certainly an oddball.
The two inlays you question don't like Gibson at all. I would bet they were added later to "personalize" the banjo. I don't believe Gibson did inlay work/alteration at the Kalamazoo factory, they ordered inlaid boards and peghead overlays from decorative wood shops in New York City, I believe.
BTW, that notched tension hoop would be highly unusual to find on a 1926 banjo, when the grooved tension hoop was the standard in stock.
Hey there Hunter - I know Bob Currell (current owner) and have seen and played this banjo. It is, as far as anyone call tell, the ONLY original RB 5 in existence. Whether the inlays you're asking about are original or not, probably would be very hard to say. Since this is an original five string neck, the inlays MAY be original to the banjo, - Gibson just may have felt that "they had to come up with something." Of course, they could have been added at some later point in the banjos life. Bob is a member here on the hangout I believe, maybe he can weigh in on this topic.
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